The Chicago Bears didn’t have much fight Sunday
The Chicago Bears put up their worst showing of the season against the Detroit Lions. This was the type of game most fans and analysts thought most of this season would like as the Bears rebuild. The Bears started off with a quick 7-0 lead. They promptly folded after the first quarter to lose 41-10. Injuries didn’t help the Bears, but there was no excuse for how bad the results were on New Year’s Day.
There wasn’t much to take away positively for the Bears. The addition of Chase Claypool to the active roster didn’t move the needle for the offense at all. They lacked passion in Week 17, falling to 3-13 on the season. The only team that looked like it wanted to be on the field was the Lions, as they kept their playoff hopes alive Sunday with the win. Here are three studs and duds from the Bears’ loss to the Lions.
Chicago Bears Studs
Khalil Herbert
Herbert didn’t have a lot of carries for the Chicago Bears. That’s offensive coordinator Luke Getsy’s fault. But Herbert made the most of his carries. He finished with 31 yards on five carries, averaging 6.2 yards per rush.
Justin Fields rushing yards
The only stable part of the Chicago Bears offense is Fields legs. He continued to break records Sunday, as he passed Michael Vick’s single-season record. Fields finished with ten carries for 132 yards. He took a few nasty hits on the field at Ford Field. It was a dumb plan by the coaching staff to have Fields run Sunday, as the playing surface in Detroit is one of the worst in the league. Playing him as long as the Bears did in a blowout was pretty questionable.
Justin Fields has already surpassed 100 yards rushing. It’s still the first quarter. Here’s highlight-reel run. pic.twitter.com/OQyCEWfU6G
— Chris Emma (@CEmma670) January 1, 2023
Joe Thomas
Not every play, but somebody on the defense had to make tackles for the Bears at some point against the Lions. Thomas led the Bears in tackles with 13 total tackles and one for a loss. It was a terrible performance by the Bears’ defense overall. Thomas at least had something to show on the stat sheet.
Chicago Bears Duds
Justin Fields’ passing game
Fields looked hungover, like he stayed up till the clock struck midnight watching the Ohio State Buckeyes blow their National Championship Semifinal game against the Georgia Bulldogs. He was absolutely awful as a passer against the Lions.
Fields didn’t get much help from his offensive coordinator or wide receivers, but he also made terrible decisions. His multiple turnovers were due to him forcing plays and not throwing the ball away. Fields needs to play smarter next week. Seventy-five yards and a 40.8 rating against the Lions in Week 17… Yikes.
Chicago Bears run defense
The Bears’ defense was pretty bad all around. But the run defense was terrible. The Bears surrendered 265 yards on the ground. They did so by giving up chunk plays of 58, 35, and 40 a pop. The Bears haven’t gotten better at defending the run than what they were doing in Week 2. The defensive line is probably the first thing general manager Ryan Poles and the team will address this offseason.
THE TRIFECTA IS COMPLETE!
Tyler Allgeier, Taysom Hill AND Jamaal Williams have all scored touchdowns today! 🔥🔥🔥
Cougars are taking over the NFL! pic.twitter.com/20NsR0bMfq
— Daily Universe Sports (@DailyUnivSports) January 1, 2023
Matt Eberflus
The performance by the Bears on New Year’s Day was the worst under first-year head coach Eberflus. His “H.I.T.S” philosophy was not on display in Detroit. The Bears’ body language did not look good for most of the game Sunday. For a coach that’s really trying to win, his team didn’t seem to care they were getting their butts handed to them by “that team“. The Bears players looked like they wanted to be anywhere but playing football against a playoff contender during the holiday. That’s on Eberflus for losing the locker room in Week 17.
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